Entertainment

Coachella Recapped

By Leif Lesperance

In Indio, Calif., one of the world’s most viral music festivals, Coachella, completed its two-weekend run this April, leaving fans debating which weekend was more iconic. This year’s headliners, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, put on great performances. During the second week of the festival, a wave of surprise guests stunned the crowds and became historical moments. 

Weekend one is typically where excitement is highest, and a lot of celebrities and influencers are in attendance. However, this year there was a rare shift. While the lineups were seemingly identical, artists introduced special guests, including big names, on the second weekend. Weekend two saw a significant increase in social media engagement while fans reacted to surprises from Madonna, Billie Eilish, and SZA, all of whom were not in attendance the opening week. 

Sabrina Carpenter opened the festival with a “Sabrinawood” set reflecting classic Hollywood glamour. Her setlist focused on many of her most recent hits, including "Espresso," “Taste,” and “Please Please Please.” As a nod to her acting start, Carpenter featured a cameo from her former Girl Meets World co-star Corey Fogelmanis during weekend one. For weekend two, she was joined by Madonna for an immediately viral moment that included a duet of “Vogue.”

Justin Bieber had a polarizing role in the festival. While fans were excited to see the singer’s return to the Coachella stage, his performance style was heavily criticized online. Many attendees and viewers found his set to be lazy or low-energy because of his reliance on backing tracks and a lack of stage presence during weekend one. However, Bieber redeemed the narrative for weekend two by leaning into the power of guests. While the first performance included Tems and Wizkid, he really shocked the fans the second time around with Billie Eilish, SZA, and Big Sean. These cameos gave him the spark that critics felt he was lacking alone on weekend one. This turned the critiques into a viral moment. 

Closing out the festival on Sunday, Karol G brought tons of energy and a vibrant set that celebrated Latin music and culture with high energy from start to finish. As the first Latina to headline the festival, she did not miss the second weekend guest memo. After featuring Becky G the first weekend, for the finale, she brought out global stars Peso Pluma and J Balvin. Critics noted her performance as one of the most well-executed sets of the year.